The present invention relates to a method for preventing or treating renal failure in a mammal which comprises administering the mammal an effective amount of at least one hydantoin derivative or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
Since the number of renal failure patients treated with hemodialysis is increasing, great efforts have been given to the prevention, early detection and treatment of renal failure, the suppression of progression of renal failure, and the provision and spread of medical care of dialysis and renal transplantation. Several diseases, for example, various nephropathy such as diabetic nephropathy, nephrosclerosis, collagen disease and obstructive uropathy cause an obstruction of renal functions, and the patients fall into chronic renal failure. In renal failure, quantitative and qualitative homeostasis of body fluid composition can not be maintained, and it has been suggested that uremic toxins, which are not excreted and are accumulated in the body, cause obstructions and abnormalities of tissues, neuronal and metabolic systems. It is the present situation that there are not any suitable drugs for treating renal failure. Therefore, the developments of good drugs for renal failure are desired, for example, drugs which suppress the production of uremic toxins causing uremic symptoms. It has now been found that certain hydantoin derivatives have suppressing effect on the production of uremic toxins and improving effect on renal functions as well as low toxicity and great safety. As disclosed in Japan Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 1986-122275, 1987-14 and 1987-45525, it was known that the hydantoin derivatives of the present invention had pharmacological effects such as hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects. However, therapeutic effect for renal failure of the said compounds was not known at all.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for preventing or treating renal failure in a mammal which comprises administering the mammal an effective amount of at least one hydantoin derivative or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.